Sparking igniter for explosive-engines.



No. 67|,7|8. Patented Apr, 9, I90l.

W. A. BDLE.

SPABKING IGNITEB FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed May 28, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrren.

WILLIAM A. BOLE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SPARKING IGNITER FOR EXPLOSlVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,718, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed May 23, 1900. Serial No. 17,770. (No model.)

To all w wm it may concern:

Beit known that LWILLIAM A. BOLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Igniting Apparatus for Gas-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to internal-combustion or explosive-gas engines, and particularly to the apparatus employed for igniting the charges of explosive mixture supplied to the cylinders of such engines.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient means whereby the temperature of the igniting apparatus may be kept within such limits as will prevent explosions at undesired periods and will also insure longer life for the igniting apparatus than has been possible with the apparatus heretofore employed. In order to secure these results, I reduce to a minimum both the amount of surface of the igniter apparatus that is exposed to the heat produced by the explosions and the distance through which the heat must be conducted in order to reach the cooling-water.

In the accompanying drawing, which is a,

, sectional view through a portion of one of the cylinder-heads of a gas-engine, the cylinderhead 1 is provided with cooling-chambers 2, which chambers are supplied with cold water in order to keep down the temperature to safe limits. At the bottom of the upper cylinderhead 1 and between chambers 2 is an open recess 3, communicating at its upper end with a recess 3 of larger diameter, that extends to the upper side of the cylinder-head. A ledge 4 is thus provided at the inner end of the recess 3 which has a smooth plane surface. Within the recess 3 is located a plug 5, having a flange 6 at its outer end, that projects over the adjacent portions of the cylinderhead and is fastened thereto by means of screws 7. The plug 5 serves as a support for the igniter-electrodes 8 and 9, the inner ends, which are provided with sparking-points, being located in the recess 3. The cooperative relation between the electrodes and the plug and the insulating and actuating means for the electrodes may be of any approved charactor, and since these featu res do not specially pertain to my present invention a detailed description thereof is deemed to be unnecessary.

The inner end of the cylindrical portion of the plug 5 is seated upon the ledge 1 and preferably makes a ground-joint fit therewith. It will be seen that with this construction and arrangement the sparking-points of the igniter are located within a comparatively restricted space and that a minimum amount of surface of the igniter-plug is exposed to the direct action of the ignited mixture.

In the igniting apparatus of this general character that was employed prior to my invention the ground-joint was made between the flange 6 and the portion of the cylinderhead with which it engaged, and the entire inner face of the plug was exposed to the direct heating action of the ignited charges. Since readyinsertion and removal of the plug makes a loose fit between it and its recess desirable, the all-metal path for conducting the heat to the Water in the cooling-chambers 2 was through the entire length of the plug and through the flange 6 in the old structure, whereas in mypresent structure the groundjoint at 4 provides a short and direct eonducting-path for the heat from the chamber 3 to the cooling-water in chambers 2. This construction has been found to be important and valuable in practice.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a gas-engine, acylinder-head having a restricted igniter-reeess atits inner side and a communicating recess of larger diameter, in combination with a metal plug provided with igniter-electrodes and seated upon and making a ground-joint fit with the ledge located at the junction of the two recesses.

2. In a gas-engine, a cylinder-head having water-chambers, a restricted igniter-recess located in proximity thereto, a relatively large recess communicating with said igniter-recess, in combination with a metal plug provided with igniter-electrodes and having a ground joint connection with the ledge formed at the junction of the two recesses,

said plug being of greater length and less diameter than the recess in which it is located.

' ea ns 3. In a gas-engine, a c'yiinder-head having removably clamping the plug against said To Water-chambers, a relatively Wide recess ex base.

tending inward from its outer side and a nar- Intestimony whereof i have hereunto subrgw regess extegditrlig from thgv infnte}: elllld 3f scribed my name this 21st day of May, 1900. t e W1 erecess 0 1e inner si e0 0 ea in combination with a metal plug provided WILIZJIAM BOLE' with igniter-electrodes and loosely fitted into Witnesses: said Wide recess but making a ground-joint S. B. DUSINBERRE, fit with the base of said recess, and means for 1 W. D. ORUMPTON. 

